Charlotte Drug Trafficker Is Sentenced To More Than 24 Years In Federal Prison

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Today, U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn, Jr. sentenced Herbert Eugene Brandon, 55, of Charlotte, to 292 months in prison for drug trafficking conspiracy, drug distribution and money laundering conspiracy, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Judge Cogburn also imposed five years of supervised release following incarceration.

According to filed documents and information introduced at the sentencing hearing, in 2019, law enforcement identified Brandon as a member of a Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) associated with the CJNG Mexican drug cartel and responsible for distributing bulk quantities of methamphetamine and heroin throughout Western North Carolina, including in Mecklenburg and Gaston Counties. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement conducted surveillance and controlled drug buys, during which they observed Brandon engage in several drug transactions with a Confidential Informant and with other local drug dealers. In addition to trafficking narcotics, Brandon engaged in money laundering activity, by sending drug proceeds via wire transfers to Mexico-based DTO members in amounts varying from $980 to $1,500 per transaction.

In October 2021, Brandon pleaded guilty to drug trafficking conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy, and distribution and possession with intent to distribute heroin and methamphetamine.

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation.

OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles criminal organizations using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Gaston County Police Department for their coordination and investigation of the case.

Assistant United States Attorney Regina Pack, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.